Fountain pen



March 21, 1933. w. J. FOLEY FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Oct. 24, 1931 Patented Mar. 21 1933 WILLIAM J. roLEzor wEsrsoMERvILLn, mnssncn usnrrs FOUNTAIN PEN I Application filed October 24, 1931,

. This invention relates to that type of foun- "-tain pens in which a rubber sack for contain.- ingtheink is collapsed by air pressure forced into, the 'sack containing chamber by the action of a slidable barrel section and is per- 'mitted to expand, by permitting the compressed air in said chamberto escape so that the sack may become filled. a i

In constructions of this type which have been placed on the market to the greatest extent, the ink sackfis filled by confining the air in the sliding barrel section by closing a vent opening with the finger while the section is being pushed inward, and then removing the finger from the opening while the pen section is submerged in the ink, to permitthe sack to become filled.

l/Vhile this operation is simple, nevertheless much difliculty has beenencountered in teaching the public, generally how to perform it, and a further difliculty has been en: countered in performing the operation due to the fact that frequently the vent opening is not closed tightly, so that the sack is only partly collapsed, and, therefore, is only partly filled. V

The objects of the invention are to provide a fountain pen of the type above referred to in which the filling operation will be simpli? fied, as compared with similar devices of this type and in which the necessity of the manual control of a vent aperture while performing the operation is entirely eliminated. Also to provide'a construction which will permit the employment of certain dimensionally unstable material, such as compounds of celluloid, in the construction of the holder, without in any way affecting the operation of the sliding parts which are operated to fill the ink sack, and to provide a construction which is comparatively simple and durable and will favorably compare as to'ink capacity with fountain pens which employ mechanical means for collapsing the ink sack.

These and'other objects are accomplished by means of the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 1s a longitudinal central sectlonal the outer barrel 12 and Serial No. 570,817.

View of a fountain pen embodying the inven tion, with the parts in normal position. "Figs. Q and' 3 are similar iews illustrating different stepsin the filling operation. I I Fig. 4 is a detail view of theink holding section which is employed. i A In thexdrawing a pen section 10 of ordinary construction is indicated, to which an outer barrel 12 is connected at one end, the opposite endthereof being open. Said barrel may be made of suitable celluloid compound,

such as pyralin. I

An inner barrel, or tube 14, ofvery thin metal is connected at cated therein, the mouth of the sack being also connected to the pen section in the usual manner, so that an air chamber is formed about the sack,-whic h iills the spacewithin the. tube 14:, as'completely asrpossibleL A one end to the pen sec tion and the usual rubber ink sack 15. is. 10-

metal bushing,.orlplug 16 is fitted in and secured to the opposite end ofthe tube 14 from the pen section, and is provided with a central opening in which a tubular stem 18 is tightly fitted and secured, said stem18 being extended beyondthe bushing 16 and having a flange 19 at its opposite end and a small vent aperture20 in one side in close proximlty to the outer side of the bushing 16.

A circular pistondiskQQ,v preferably of felt, and having a tubular metal bushing23 therein, is slidably'mounted on the stem 18 and is movablethereon between the flange 19 and the bushing 16, so that when the piston 22 is engaged with the bushing 16 it will close the Vent and when it is engaged with the flange 19-tl1e vent 20 will be open to the space outside the bushing 16. s I

A tubular plunger 241- of thin metal is slidably mounted internally'o n the inner tube 14, and its outer end is tightly closed bya'cap 25, which may be, of the same material as forms acontinu'a'tion thereof position. The opposite or inner end of the plunger 24: is provided with an out-turned flange 27 and a metal bushing 28 is secured within the barrel 12 at its opposite end from the pen sectionand is internallyfitted to the exterior surface of the' plunger 24, a ,sufliwhen the plunger is in its innermost ciently' strong frictional engagement being thereby provided to hold the plunger in any position to which it may be adjusted and said bushing serving as'a stop to limit its outward movement. The piston 22 is also fitted to the inner surface of the plunger 24: and forms a practically air tight connection therewith in all relative positions thereof.

When the ink sack is to be filled, the plunger 2a is drawn outwardly until its inner flange 27 engages the bushing 28, as shown in Fig. 2, andthen the end of the pensection is immersed in the ink and while the barrel 12isheld by one hand the plunger 24; is

forced quickly downward with the other hand 7 until the cap 25 thereon engages the end of the barrel. -As the plunger 24: has a frictional, air

' tight connection with the piston 22 in all relative positions, when the plunger is forced downward or inward, the piston will immedi 'ately be forced against the end ofthe tu e 14:, or bushing 16 therein, so that it will. cover'the vent 20 and prevent the escape of any substantial amount of air therethrough, and the air within the plunger will be forced through stem 18 and into the chamber containing the sack, causing the latter to be fully collapsed by the time the down stroke of the plunger has been completed as shown in Fig. 3. The air held under compression in the sack chamber will then begin to leak thru the vent 20 and'beneath the piston 22 and will pass out between the inner surface of the plunger 24 and the outer surface of the inner tube 14, as these parts, although they are slidabl y fitted together,ido not have an air tight connection/ Thebar'rel 12'1nay beprovided with a vent apertureSQ throu h which the air may then escape, or it may e permitted to escape between the bushing 28 and the plunger, which have a; close sliding fit, but not necessarily an air tight fit.

As soon as the air begins to-escape from within the tube 14: the sack will begin to eX- pand and draw in the ink thru the ink passage of the feed bar inthe usual manner.

In practice the ink passage in the feed bar is always very small, so that a slight leakage of air from the ink sack chamber Wlll permit the sack to expand and become filled as rapidplungerthru the vent 30, between the tube 14 and plunger and thru vent 20 and stem 18.

The filling operation may thus be performed by merelypulling out and pushing back the plunger 24:.

I claim: a I I 1. In a self-filling fountain pen having a collapsible ink sack, a tube enclosing said sack and having an air tight connection at one end with the mouth thereof, a piston disk mounted'on the opposite end of said tube,

, arranged for limited movement axially thereof, and having a constantly open air passage therethrough to the interior of said tube, a tubular plunger closed at one end and telescopically fitted on said tube at its oppo site end, with its inner, surface having an air t1ght connection with theperiphery of said disk in all relative positions thereof, said disk being inwardly movable by the frictional engagement of theplunger therewith when moved to force air intothe' tube thru said passage, and said tube having a vent passage arranged to be obstructed by said piston disk when moved inward and to be fully opened when the disk is moved outward."

' 2. In a selffilling fountainrpen having a collapsible'ink sack, a tube enclosing said sack and having an airtight connection at one end with the mouth thereof, a tubular stem mounted in the opposite end? of said tube and protruding therefrom and providing open communication therethrough to the interior of the :tube, said stem having a leak opening in one side adjacent the end'of the tube,a piston disk mounted on the protruding portion of said stem and movable between said flange and the end of-said tube to open and close said leak opening, and a tubu lar plunger closed at one end and telescopically tted at its opposite end on said tube and having an air tight connection internally with the periphery of the in all relative positions thereof. 7 In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WIL M J. FOLEY.

ly as the ink can flow thru the feed barpas- V sage.

In practice also the amount of air the plunger which will be forced into the ink sack chamber will be somewhatin excess 0 7 liminary to the filling operation, the piston 22 will be moved into engagement with the flange 19, fully uncovering vent 20, so that air will be supplled to the space within the flange at its outer end and arelatively small .100 

